The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a 2018 historical romantic drama directed by Mike Newell, based off the novel of the same name written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The film stars Lily James, Matthew Goode. Michael Huisman, Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Katherine Parkinson, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton.

The film is set in 1946 and follows a London based writer as she begins exchanging letters with people from the island of Guernsey, which was under German occupation during World War II. After getting engaged to her American boyfriend of six months, Juliet Ashton travels to Guernsey to meet the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, with whom she had been keeping in touch with through letters.

After spending several months there, getting to know the literary group, the island and other residents, Dawsey Adams, Juliet’s first Guernsey correspondent, starts falling in love with her. He learns she is engaged when her fiancé Mark Reynolds visits her on the island. After flying back with Mark to London, Juliet tells him that she doesn’t want to marry him, because she loves someone else and gives him the engagement ring back. She goes back to Guernsey to ask Dawsey to marry her.

This is a cute, sweet film, one that lovers of period dramas, romance and literature will very much enjoy. It is not the most exciting romantic period drama, but it is still quite enjoyable throughout. It does have a more PBS and BBC Films feel to it, than Netflix.

Lily James is wonderful as Juliet Ashton. She brings her usual period drama greatness to this film, like she did in the show Downton Abbey. Glen Powell does a pretty good job as Mark Reynolds and his character isn’t the film as much as he is in the book. Mark Huisman is equally as wonderful as James as the character Dawsey Adams. Matthew Goode is great as Sidney Stark, Juliet’s publisher from London.

Overall, this film is lovely at times, has the right amount of tragedy, romance and literature and the scenery and costumes are fabulous. The only complaint I have is that this film could have been a bit shorter, two hours and four minutes is far too long for such a story, but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. 13+ 4.5/5

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Published by chloethecritic

I love to read, write, watch movies, listen to music, shop, cook and volunteer at my local animal shelter. I have two dogs, Cockapoos named Jack and Dempsey (after the famous boxer) and two cats, a longhaired grey, brown and white tabby named Pearl and an orange tabby named Milo. I live in Jackson, Mississippi and I love to travel and I hope to go to the NYC, the White House and out of the country before I die. I am who I am and I don't give a hoot what anyone thinks.
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